African Entrepreneurship Record

So Bells could only jot down the requests of the crown prince, and then return to discuss them with everyone. After all, one’s wisdom is limited, and if there’s a headache, everyone should share it together, rather than suffering alone.

Thus, after finalizing the specific location for Rhein City, Bells and his team’s primary task shifted to city planning and design. They aimed to eventually build a moderately sized city where old and new cultures intertwined, with an atmosphere of vibrant life, while maintaining overall order and clear zoning. This city would meet the criteria of being the political, cultural, and diplomatic center of the capital, while also holding some economic and transportation functions.

Of course, regarding the construction of Rhein City, Ernst, as the client, was not particularly worried. After all, even if East Africa planned to build a new capital, it would take time. During this period, they could correct various issues, as Rhein City was essentially built from scratch and could be completely rebuilt if necessary. Moreover, its location ensured it would not face significant problems, only some minor troubles.

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”Your Highness, just yesterday, the Far East Government requested our country to mediate the conflicts between them and Japan concerning interests on the Korean Peninsula.”

The East African Minister of Foreign Affairs urgently brought the telegram from the East African Embassy in the Far East Empire to Sweet Palace to report to Ernst.

It was inevitable; Ernst thought to himself while carefully reading the telegram.

On July 6th, after the Far East Empire failed to seek help from the United Kingdom Government, they had to place their hopes on Germany, the United States, and other Great Powers like East Africa.

Earlier, a large-scale peasant uprising occurred in Korea, and the Japanese Government took advantage of this to send troops to Korea, thus triggering a new round of political crisis in the Far East.

The last Far East crisis was when Japan invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom, and finally, East Africa intervened, ending with East Africa claiming the southern Ryukyu Islands.

Moreover, with the end of the South African War, East African Countries’ status significantly rose, so this time the Far East Empire evidently also regarded East Africa as a Great Power.

After a while, confirming Ernst had finished reading the telegram, Herman asked, ”Your Highness the Crown Prince, should we accept the Far East Empire’s request?”

Ernst frowned and said, ”Of course, especially since we’ve had some unpleasant experiences with Japan too. Japan has ever since coveted the southern Ryukyu Islands, and last time strongly resented our occupation of the North Hawaiian Kingdom. Additionally, according to intelligence reports, Japan has been conducting espionage activities in Jiaozhou, well known as East Africa’s interest in the Far East. Thus, Japan poses a significant threat to us, so when necessary, we must indeed give the Japanese some trouble.”

For various reasons, East Africa must trouble Japan, but only to that extent. The Far East is too distant from East Africa, and although East Africa holds two footholds in the region — the southern Ryukyu Islands and the North Hawaiian Kingdom — they only serve to secure East African interests there.

Furthermore, Japan is actually backed by the United Kingdom and the United States — one aims to curb Tsarist Russia’s expansion in the Far East, while the other seeks to further open the Far East Market. Therefore, East Africa simply cannot stop the outbreak of this war.

Ernst understood this clearly, so he told Herman, ”Convey our stance to both countries: East Africa opposes unrest in the Far East. We need to strive for Germany and Austria-Hungary’s support in public opinion, as war in the northern seas will inevitably affect the interests of the Three Kingdoms. The United Kingdom and the United States won’t be so generous as to help Japan.”

Thus, under Ernst’s instruction, Herman expressed East African Government’s attitude to Ambassador Richard stationed in the Far East Empire.

Of course, the final outcome naturally ended without much success. Although East Africa firmly opposed, it somewhat influenced Germany and Austria-Hungary’s positions, the Three Kingdoms couldn’t directly threaten Japan. Among them, East Africa was the strongest in the Far East, but East Africa’s so-called Pacific Fleet was insignificant in the Far East, and due to the newly incorporated North Hawaiian Kingdom, it was divided into two parts, unable to sway the situation in the region.

Concerning this, East Africa naturally couldn’t be willing to let go, so three days later, on July 10th, the East African Government and the Far East Empire signed a batch of military agreements — primarily a military sales agreement, including over seventy thousand pieces of equipment seized by the East African Army after the South African War, as well as naval warships under long-standing agreements undergoing maintenance at East African shipyards, accelerating delivery to the Far East Empire. This was hardware support to the Far East Empire.

Additionally, East Africa and the media agencies under the Heixinggen Consortium responded by sending large numbers of journalists into the Far East area to conduct real-time reports on the war.

This was a very necessary measure because in a past life, during the Far East Empire’s war with Japan, the region’s public opinion was unfavorable — much like how the misdeeds of the Jews in the western world were overlooked.

The massacres by Japan in Lushun were also automatically disregarded by the United Kingdom and the United States, especially with the U.S. public opinion being entirely biased towards Japan, calling the war a victory of ”civilization” over ignorance.

This shows that the United States’ bias towards Jews in the 21st century is completely a traditional art, inherently synonymous with ”evil.”

East Africa’s media organizations could only influence domestically, but the newspaper alliance under the Heixinggen Consortium was quite different, covering Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Russia, and other European countries. Although not mainstream in some countries, it was fairly influential.

Under such a public-opinion deterrent, Japan couldn’t ignore international influence, and if some tragedies could be prevented, that would be for the best.

Even East Africa, merely a colonial country, had never openly engaged in intentional massacres of Black people.

Notably, with East Africa’s technological development, the news agencies under both East Africa and the Heixinggen Consortium have evolved significantly; some journalists are equipped with portable roll-film cameras. The three international giants manufacturing portable cameras are the Eastman Kodak Company of the United States, East Africa’s state-owned Mbeya City Optical Factory, and the Pheis Company under the Heixinggen Consortium.

Pheis Company is a subsidiary funded by the Heixinggen Consortium, mainly overseeing business for the European Market, headquartered in Berlin. Meanwhile, East Africa’s Mbeya City Optical Factory is a semi-military enterprise within East Africa.

With new technology support, East African-controlled media agencies can better ”monitor” the developments of the Far East war.

Besides these supports, East Africa achieved some diplomatic results. Under the insistence of East Africa, Tsarist Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary, the warfare in this conflict could only occur on the Korean Peninsula. With the border marked by ”Two Rivers,” the land warfare parties must not strike along this line.

Though Tsarist Russia wasn’t ”kind,” it did cause some changes in international attitudes towards this war.

As for the sea, that was another matter, and with Ernst deliberately strengthening, if the Far East Empire Navy still loses the war, then it’s the government’s incompetence, and no one can save them.

Subsequently, the war between the Far East Empire and Japan inevitably erupted thoroughly in late July. Japan was indeed weak, but driven by a gambler’s mentality, coupled with the encouragement and support from The United Kingdom and the United States behind the scenes, along with the development of militarism, the nation’s resources couldn’t sustain its exaggerated military, especially naval expenses, so it had to cut into ”Korea” to recuperate.

As for East Africa, this troublemaker... can’t really be provoked at the moment. Overall, the priority for Japan Government remains firmly fixed on taking Korea first.